The Turkish Ministry of Justice, led by Akın Gürlek, is prosecuting Dr. Güllistan Yarkın, a participant in the Philipp Schwartz Initiative at the University of Hamburg, over allegations of publicly denigrating the Turkish state in an unpublished doctoral thesis submitted to have her degree recognized in Türkiye so that she could work in the country. The Committee urges the Ministry to drop the charges against Dr. Yarkın.
October 27, 2026
Akın Gürlek
Minister of Justice
Ministry of Justice
06659 Kızılay / Ankara
Republic of Türkiye
+90 (0312) 419 33 70
info@adalet.gov.tr
Dear Prof. Minister Gürlek:
The Committee of Concerned Scientists is an independent organization of scientists, physicians, engineers, and scholars devoted to the protection and advancement of human rights and scientific freedom for colleagues all over the world.
We are writing to express our serious concern about the criminal proceedings against Dr. Güllistan Yarkın, a Turkish sociologist currently conducting research at the University of Hamburg in Germany as a Philipp Schwartz Initiative Fellow. We respectfully urge you to take appropriate steps to bring these proceedings to an end and to ensure that Dr. Yarkın can pursue her academic work without fear of prosecution.
Dr. Yarkın received her Ph.D. in sociology from Binghamton University, State University of New York, in 2017. Her doctoral research examined contemporary Turkish-Kurdish relations. In 2018, she applied to the Inter-University Council of Türkiye (ÜAK) for recognition of her American doctoral degree, a requirement for pursuing an academic career in Türkiye. In 2020, her application was rejected, and concerns raised about passages in her dissertation were referred to prosecuting authorities.
In August 2026, Dr. Yarkın was indicted under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code on the basis of statements contained in her dissertation. Her first hearing took place before the Ankara 92nd Criminal Court of First Instance on October 6, 2026. The court maintained an arrest warrant against her and adjourned the proceedings until January 14, 2027.
We are particularly troubled that the criminal charges arise from scholarly work completed and approved at an accredited American university and subsequently submitted to Turkish authorities for the administrative purpose of recognizing her academic qualifications. Academic research frequently addresses controversial historical, political, and social questions. Differences of interpretation should be addressed through scholarly discussion and debate rather than criminal proceedings.
The prosecution has placed Dr. Yarkın in an extremely difficult position. Although she continues her research in Germany, the outstanding arrest warrant and criminal charges create serious obstacles to her returning to Türkiye, maintaining professional and personal ties with her home country, and pursuing her academic career without fear of detention or restrictions on her freedom of movement.
We respectfully ask that you use the authority of your office, consistent with the independence of the judiciary, to facilitate a resolution of Dr. Yarkın’s case that protects her fundamental rights. In particular, we urge that the charges arising from her academic research be withdrawn or otherwise brought to an end, that the outstanding arrest warrant be lifted, and that she be able to return to Türkiye without fear of punitive measures related to her scholarly work.
We also hope that her application for recognition of her doctoral degree can be reconsidered on its academic merits, independently of disagreements over the subjects or conclusions of her research.
We believe that a favorable resolution of this case would be consistent with the principles of academic freedom and freedom of expression recognized in Article 27 of the Turkish Constitution and Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. It would also send a welcome message to Turkish scholars working both at home and abroad.
Thank you for your consideration of this appeal. We would greatly appreciate any assistance you can provide in bringing about a just and humane resolution of Dr. Yarkın’s situation. We would welcome a response from your office and will continue to follow her case with concern.
Sincerely,
Joel L. Lebowitz, Walter Reich, Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Alexander Greer
Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists
CC:
Prof. Dr. Ramazan Cüneyt Erenoğlu
President, Inter-University Council of Türkiye (ÜAK)
Phone: +90(312) 291 8200
E-mail: ceren@comu.edu.tr
E-mail: uak@yok.gov.tr
E-mail: uak@hs01.kep.tr